Recently we have seen many cases of deaths caused by the police during or after the arrest of an alleged offender and following the tragic death in May 2020 of George Floyd in the United States and the ensuing trial of Derek Chauvin, the world stood up and paid attention. George's death was caught on smartphones by numerous individuals who witnessed him begging for his life as he could not breath whilst Chauvin knelt callously on his neck.
However, his death was not a new phenomenon and neither was it a unique case of a death in the custody of police being caught on camera, but because of social media and the individuals who witnessed the brutality being able to upload the shocking footage from their devices the public was forced to confront this tragedy head on.
here we discuss a case of a death in Police Custody that took place over 20 years before George's in an attempt to draw attention to the case, again like George the victim was a black male and again it was caught on camera, this time the very CCTV cameras in the custody suite put there to protect the prisoners from harm, either slef inflicted or otherwise.
This is the story of Christopher Alder, from my home town of Kingston upon Hull in East Yorkshire.
Before I continue with Christopher's story here is some background facts about what is considered a death in Police custody.
According to the College of Policing in the UK there are five categories which define a death in custody or a death following contact with the police.
Category 1 – road traffic fatalities, including deaths of motorists, cyclists or pedestrians arising from police pursuits, police vehicles responding to emergency calls and other police traffic-related activity.
This does not include:
deaths following a road traffic incident (RTI) where the police have attended immediately after the event as an emergency service.
Category 2 – fatal shootings, including fatalities where police officers fired the fatal shot using a conventional firearm.
Category 3 – deaths in or following police custody including deaths that occur while a person is being arrested or taken into detention, deaths of people who have been arrested or who have been detained by police under the Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983. The death may have taken place on police, private or medical premises, in a public place or in a police or other vehicle.
This includes:
deaths that occur during or following police custody where injuries that contributed to the death were sustained during the period of detention
deaths that occur in or on the way to hospital (or other medical premises) following or during transfer from scene of arrest or police custody
deaths that occur as a result of injuries or other medical problems that are identified or that develop while a person is in custody
deaths that occur while a person is in police custody having been detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 or other related legislation.
It does not include:
suicides that occur after a person has been released from police custody
deaths that occur where the police are called to assist medical staff to restrain individuals who are not under arrest.
Category 4 – apparent suicides that occur within two days of release from police custody and apparent suicides that occur beyond two days of release from custody where the period spent in custody may be relevant to the subsequent death.
Category 5 – deaths during or following other types of contact with the police, including deaths following contact with the police, either directly or indirectly, that did not involve arrest or detention under the MHA 1983 and were subject to an independent investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). An independent investigation is determined by the IOPC for the most serious incidents that cause the greatest level of public concern, have the greatest potential to impact on communities or that have serious implications for the reputation of the police service. Since 2010/11, this category has included only deaths that have been subject to an IOPC independent investigation. This is to improve consistency in the reporting of these deaths. Forces must refer such deaths immediately to the IOPC.
This may include:
deaths that occur after the police are called to attend a domestic incident that results in a fatality
deaths that occur while a person is actively attempting to evade arrest; this includes instances where the death is self-inflicted
deaths that occur when the police attend a siege situation, including where a person kills themselves or someone else
deaths that occur after the police have been contacted following concerns about a person’s welfare and there is concern about the nature of the police response
deaths that occur where the police are called to assist medical staff to restrain individuals who are not under arrest.
Christopher's death would be considered a "category 3" death as he was being detained in Police premises namely Queens Garden's Police station in the centre of Hull.
You may remember that in episode 1 I told the story of the tragic murder of Kirsty Carver who was a civilian who worked at this police Station and the station no longer exists as it closed several years ago.
Christopher Ibikunle Alder (25 June 1960 – 1 April 1998) was a black British man of Nigerian descent, born in Hull in 1960. He joined the British Army at the age of 16 and served in the Parachute Regiment for six years. After leaving the Army, he first settled in Andover, Hampshire, before relocating to Dagger Lane, Hull in 1990. In 1998 he was taking a college course in computer skills in Hull. He had two sons, who had remained with their mother in the Andover area when their parents separated.
On 31 March 1998 at around 7 in the evening, Christopher and two friends went out into Hull City Centre and visited a few different bars in and around the town centre before going to a takeaway for a bite to eat. Christopher had drunk a couple of bottles of Becks Beer and a further 2 pints of lager so was by no means drunk and following eating some food seemed very sober when the trio had a conversation as to whether to end the night at a nightclub called The Waterfront, which is an old converted warehouse on the side of Princes Dock, a unused quay or water basin in the centre of Hull which has been disused as a dock for many years and is in fact home to a Shopping centre known as Princes Quay.
Geographically Hull Marina previously led into Princes Dock which then led into Queens Dock but Queens dock was filled in and turned into a city centre park many years ago and in fact Queens Gardens Police station is so named as it overlooks that park. So to walk from Waterfront to Queens Gardens police Station would take you between 5 and 10 minutes.
Christopher's friends decided against going to the club. so Christopher went there on his own gaining entry at about 10:30pm
at the Waterfront club Christopher drank a further two or three pints of lager. and around 1.30 am Alder became involved in a disagreement with another customer, Jason Ramm, which led to Ramm being ejected from the club, however Ramm was caught on the clubs external CCTV cameras hanging around outside the club and he was in fact waiting for Christopher to leave.
when Christopher left about 2:15am Ramm was waiting for him and again attacked Christopher.
A third person, Jason Paul, who was a friend of Christopher's and a member of a local black community group who had organised the club event at the Waterfront nightclub that evening, attempted to break up the fight and although eye-witness accounts were inconsistent it was mainly suggested that Christopher did strike or connected with blows to Jason Paul, who had been acting as a peacekeeper, before Mr Paul hit him once in the face which caused him to fall backwards, strike his head on the pavement, and lose consciousness. Staff at the nightclub telephoned the emergency services and an ambulance took Alder - who had by this time regained consciousness - to the Hull Royal Infirmary.
Two police officers, PC Nigel Dawson and PC Neil Blakey, were dispatched to the scene and arrived shortly after the ambulance in a marked patrol car, although by this time Christopher made no attempt to speak to Alder.
The two offices spoke with the club's manager, who took them inside to review the CCTV footage of the incident. They then relayed into the control room that Christopher was very drunk and involved in an altercation despite not having spoken to him or having been told this by any of the witnesses they spoke with.
A third police officer, Acting Police Sergeant (A/PS) Mark Ellerington, arrived at about 2.50 am, after the ambulance left, and went inside to speak with the club manager and the officers already present. He was told by PC's Dawson and Blakey that Christopher was drunk.
Meanwhile Christopher was on his way to the Accident and Emergency department at Hull Royal Infirmary this sits on the Anlaby Road site of Hull Hospitals and is less than 1 mile from the Waterfront club an journey by car of less than 5 minutes. The ambulance arrived at the hospital at 2.44 am
By this time Christopher was acting what hospital staff described a "troublesome" and although he was examined by a doctor who though the head injury did not appear serious. Medical staff tried to take an x-ray of Alder's head injury but he would not remain still and they abandoned the effort
witnesses to Christopher's behaviour at the hospital described him as "confused and dazed" and "generally abusive."
One of the paramedics from the ambulance crew who had transported him there stated that Alder asked: "Where am I? What's happened?"
One of the nurses who treated him also stated that, in addition to being abusive and swearing at her, he was asking: "Where am I, what am I doing?"
Two police officers who were present in the emergency department on an unrelated matter intervened at one point and asked him to cooperate with the nursing staff. They recalled later that he calmed down but remained "confused."
about 2o minutes after his arrival at the Hospital PC Dawson and PC Blakey arrived to follow up with him following the assault at the club. Christopher then seemed to uncooperative, and the police control room were informed by the officers at 3.19 am "Our complainant is being a wee bit troublesome. Probably the reason why he got smacked in the first place."
The doctor who examined Alder listed his injuries as:
haematoma at the rear of his head caused by impact but not consistent with a direct blow
localised swelling to the area of the left side of his upper lip
two wounds to the left side of his upper lip which were not bleeding
front left canine tooth knocked out and the tooth adjacent to it upon the left upper side loosened and pushed into his mouth
minimal bleeding from the tooth that was knocked out
At this stage the doctor had several options avaiable to Christoper, he could admit him for observation, x-ray his skull and refer him to a maxillo-facial surgeon. or discharge him which seemed the least likely cause of action bearing in mind his confused state but despite this he decided to discharge him without seeking advice from a senior colleague.
This may also have contributed to the police officers' assumption that Alder's condition was not serious.[
so after the doctor discharged him PC Dawson and PC Blakey then escorted Christopher out of the hospital Witnesses later said that Christopher was forcibly removed from the hospital by PCs Dawson and Blakey, with medical staff stating that he was dragged out by his arms, backwards and with his legs trailing on the floor.] The police officers, however, stated that Alder had walked out unaided although they had kept a gentle grip on him to prevent him falling and to "guide" him.
The Offices stated that they suggested that he return home, when he failed to co-operate, he was arrested to prevent a breach of the peace A/PS Ellerington drove to the hospital to collect Alder for transport to the police station and detention. The vehicle used was a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with a caged section in the rear. Although handcuffed, a witness would subsequently state that he recalled Alder climbed into the back of the van unassisted. He was then driven to Queen’s Gardens police station.
Going back from Anlaby Road into Hull City Centre to the Police Station would be a distance of a mile and taken no more than 5 or 6 minutes but on arrival at the police station following a journey of approximately six minutes, the van doors were opened and the police described Alder being found "asleep" and "snoring."
He was dragged from the van and into the custody suite at 3.46 am by PCs Dawson and Blakey, "unresponsive" and with his hands handcuffed behind his back, his legs and feet dragging along the floor and his face just above the ground. His trousers and underpants had been pulled down to his knees, possibly by dragging on the floor surface, and one of his shoes had come off. A/PS Ellerington followed them in. Two police officers, Police Sergeant (PS) John Dunn and PC Matthew Barr, were already present on duty in the custody suite. Dunn was the custody officer and Barr was the cell warder.
so within a time frame of 2:15am when he left the club and was attacked by Ramm to arriving at the Custody Suite at 3:46am an hour an 30 minutes later, Christopher had received a head injury been treated by paramedics attended hospital and been examined albeit cursorily by medical staff and come into contact with 5 police officers and none of these people of whom had a duty of care to him considered his behaviour to be anything more than alcohol and/or possibly drug related
In fact the IPCC report later criticised the stance the police took, where their assumptions were he was drunk was a: "This judgement, based upon very little evidence, and tends to suggest that the two officers were making assumptions about Mr. Alder's behaviour, and choosing to attribute it to alcohol taken rather than the injury sustained, from an early stage in their dealings with him."
at this stage a lot of what happened to Christopher is caught on the police Station CCTV.
this is available on youtube but like the George Floy killing, it is not comfortable viewing.
Dawson and Blakey left Christopher lying face down on the custody suite floor, where the CCTV footage shows a pool of blood forming around his mouth. One of the officers commented on the blood, but did not attempt to examine him. PS Dunn is heard saying that Christopher should be taken to the hospital, to which Dawson and Blakey reply that they had just come from the hospital and that they believe he is feigning unconsciousness. Dawson said: "This is acting now" and "This is just an acting thing," while Blakey said: "He's right as rain... This is a show, this" and "He kept doing dying swan acts falling off the [hospital] trolley."
A/PS Ellerington also stated later that he believed Christopher was "feigning deep sleep." PS Dunn stated that he: "formed the opinion, from what I was told, that the man's behaviour at the present time may be play-acting or attention seeking."
After a few minutes the handcuffs were removed; but Christopher's arms remained unmoving behind his back, and no attempt was made to examine or rouse him. The officers can be seen going around to the opposite side of the counter and discussing what offences Christopher should be charged with and whether there was any possible justification for holding him, as any potential for breach of peace had clearly passed
On camera Christopher is heard making "gurgling" noises as he breathed in and out through the pool of blood around his face. PS Dunn later explained that although he was aware of the gurgling he ignored it, believing Alder was deliberately blowing through the blood to "try and upset" the officers.
PC Barr stated later that he had believed the noises "were intended for our attention, in other words he was putting it on, which fitted neatly into what we had been told by PC Dawson.
The audio track of the CCTV footage appears to show that the officers made monkey noises, a common form of racist abuse against black people.
Then Christopher went quiet and at 3.57 am PC Barr pointed out that Alder was no longer making any noise and PS Dunn is seen walking around the counter to check him. The officers began resuscitation attempts and called for an ambulance at 3.59 am. It arrived at 4.04 am, operated by the same crew which had earlier transported Alder from The Waterfront Club to the Hull Royal Infirmary.
Although the crew had been informed that the casualty had "breathing difficulty," the only equipment that they took into the custody suite was a bag valve mask. The paramedic admitted later that when they had received the call out, he had told his colleague "that it would probably be someone trying to pull a sickie [ie feigning illness] to get out of appearing in court in the morning."
He had to return to the ambulance outside to collect the necessary equipment, not returning until another minute had elapsed. The ambulance technician who first examined Alder reported him as having fixed, dilated pupils, no pulse and not breathing. They eventually ceased CPR at 4.35 am.
A Detective Inspector Brookes was at home that night, but he was the senior detective on call, and in the early hours of he was telephoned at home and asked for advice about what should be done. He gave instructions that the scene should be preserved. Shortly afterwards he attended at Queen's Gardens, and within a few hours the matter of this death in custody had been reported to the Police Complaints Authority, who in turn has commissioned the West Yorkshire Police to start an inquiry.
West Yorkshire Police were called in to investigate in accordance with police procedure. There were blood stains in the van and their photographer had photographed them. A forensic scientist was also called to make a report and when shown the photographs at the inquest said that these blood stains must have been wiped away since they were not in the van when she examined it. A barrister later commented that the West Yorkshire Police did not follow many leads that should have been followed.
Before the clothes worn by the officers involved in the case could be examined they had been sent for dry cleaning AND the clothes worn by Christopher that night had been destroyed.
Between 3 July and 24August 2000, an inquest took place into Christopher Alder’s death in Humberside police custody. An inquest being a judicial inquiry to ascertain the facts relating to an incident.
At the inquest , the jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing. it was concluded Christopher died because his ability to breathe was affected by lying face down on the floor. Medical experts who considered the case were unable to reach a conclusion on a single cause of death.
The five police officers who were present in the custody suite at the time were called to give evidence at the inquest, but on more than 150 occasions during the hearing refused to answer questions, citing Coroners Rules that the response could provide self-incriminating evidence.
Shortly after the verdict was returned the officers, backed by the Police Federation, sought to overturn it by means of a judicial review.
A Judicial review is a type of court proceeding in which a judge reviews the lawfulness of a decision or action made by a public body. in this case the Police officers were requesting a review of the findings of the inquest
Judicial reviews are a challenge to the way in which a decision has been made, rather than the rights and wrongs of the conclusion reached.
It is not really concerned with the conclusions of that process and whether those were ‘right’, as long as the right procedures have been followed. The court will not substitute what it thinks is the ‘correct’ decision.
This may mean that the public body will be able to make the same decision again, so long as it does so in a lawful way.
the 5 Officers claimed in the review request that the coroner should not have given a verdict of unlawful killing as an option to the jury, as the breaches of duty alleged against them could not amount to gross negligence. They also alleged that a female juror had been "infatuated" with the prosecuting barrister and that there was a "real possibility that her infatuation converted into bias."
The application for the judicial review was dismissed by the High Court of Justice in April 2001.
They were subsequently charged with misconduct in public office.
Meanwhile, at the inquest itself Christopher’s death was seen as one of significant public interest, and a number of interested friends and families were present during the inquest. Authority was given to police to observe and monitor public order outside the Hull Crown Court where the inquest took place, in order to identify suspects involved in possible offences outside court as part of any protests.
However the surveillance that took place went far beyond the strictly limited authorised terms of surveillance. The operations commander and the deputy operations commander of Humberside Police’s surveillance team at the time, sanctioned intrusive surveillance.
Janet Alder, Christopher's sister and her legal representative were followed away from the Court to a hotel and a car park where there was an attempt to listen to conversations between them. Those conversations included or were likely to include matters which were private, confidential and subject to legal professional privilege.
The Crown Prosecution Service initially decided that there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges against the officers but, following a review of the medical evidence, the officers were charged in March 2002 with Alder's manslaughter.
In June 2002, the trial collapsed when the judge ordered the jury to find the officers not guilty on all charges.
Following the acquittal, an internal police disciplinary inquiry cleared the officers of any wrongdoing.
In July 2003 the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith challenged the legal correctness of the officers' acquittals and sent the ruling to the Court of Appeal "to clarify the threshold for evidence in future death-in-custody cases", although this would not affect the acquittal because of the principle of double jeopardy that applied at that time.
double-jeopardy is a procedural defence in law that prevents an accused person from being tried again on the same (or similar) charges following an acquittal issue is raised, evidence will be placed before the court, which will typically rule as a preliminary matter whether the plea is substantiated; if it is, the projected trial will be prevented from proceeding. In some countries certain exemptions are permitted. In Scotland a new trial can be initiated if, for example, the acquitted has made a credible admission of guilt. Part of English law for over 800 years, it was partially abolished in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 where, following demand for change, serious offences may be re-tried following an acquittal if new and compelling evidence is found and for the trial to be in the public's interest
In April 2004, BBC television series Rough Justice broadcast "Death On Camera", a programme examining the circumstances of Alder's death, including the CCTV footage from the custody suite which had previously not been seen by the public.
As a result of the programme and the public concern it raised, Home Secretary David Blunkett asked the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to review the case.
In December 2004 four of the five police officers were granted early retirement on stress-related medical grounds and received lump-sum compensation payments of between £44,000 and £66,000 as well as pensions
The officers all declined requests to take part in the IPCC inquiry.
In 2006 (IPCC), released its report into their investigation into Christopher's death In the 400-page report the chairman Nick Hardwick described the behaviour of the officers present at the time as "disgraceful
The four officers criticised were Pc Matthew Barr, Pc Neil Blakey, Pc Nigel Dawson and Sergeant John Dunn.
A fifth officer, Acting Police Sergeant Mark Ellerington, was also involved but to a lesser extent than the others, the report said.
In 2004 it had emerged that all but Pc Blakey had since retired on medical grounds.
Mr Hardwick said:
"I believe the failure of the police officers concerned to assist Mr Alder effectively on the night he died were largely due to assumptions they made about him based on negative racial stereotypes.
Independent Police Complaints Commission chairman Nick Hardwick described the behaviour of the officers present at the time as "disgraceful".
I do believe the fact he was black stacked the odds more heavily against him
Nick Hardwick IPCC
Mr Hardwick said that although there were "serious failings" by the four police officers, they did not assault Mr Alder and that it could not be said "with certainty" they had caused his death.
But their "neglect" undoubtedly did deny him the chance of life, he said.
Humberside Police Federation spokesman John Savage said the officers denied they had neglected their duties or acted in a racist manner, "unwitting or otherwise".
it was also discovered that Christopher's clothes were subsequently destroyed by a West Yorkshire Police team investigating the death and never subjected to forensic examination.
Chief Constable Tim Hollis, who was not with the force at the time of Mr Alder's death, said after the report was released
"The time is...right for me publicly to apologise to Christopher Alder's family for our failure to treat Christopher with sufficient compassion and to the desired standard that night.
"The failure of the officers to explain to the IPCC their actions, including noises recorded on the video before and after Christopher's arrival in the custody suite, appears to have contributed to the IPCC view regarding unwitting racism.
Chief Constable Tim Hollis
In September 2006 Leon Wilson, one of Alder's sons, went to the High Court to challenge the Home Office's refusal to reopen the case. The judge rejected his case, saying it was "legally reasonable for the Secretary of State to believe that no more worthwhile evidence was likely to emerge."
Then in November 2011 Christopher's body was discovered in the mortuary at Hull Royal Infirmary, eleven years after his family believed they had buried him.
An exhumation of his grave in Hull's Northern Cemetery during the night of 21 February 2012 found that Grace Kamara, a 77-year-old woman, had been buried in his place. Both bodies have since been reburied.
South Yorkshire Police Detective Superintendent Richard Fewkes announced that a criminal investigation had begun to determine if an offence of misconduct in public office had been committed
Again grief and pain was brought to Janet and Christopher's two sons and again they found very little comfort in the findings of subsequent investigations
South Yorkshire Police said: "On 29 April 2013 Fewkes and his investigation team presented a detailed and extensive investigation report to the Crown Prosecution Service to seek formal advice relating to a number of mortuary staff to establish if they had committed criminal offences.
"After careful consideration of all the circumstances and the evidence available, the Crown Prosecution Service has concluded that there is no realistic prospect of a conviction for either misconduct in a public office or the prevention of the lawful burial of a body."
Det Supt Richard Fewkes, who led the investigation, said: "While the investigation will not lead to a criminal prosecution, I am now in a position to explain to the families of Christopher Alder and Grace Kamara the likely circumstances that may have led to these very tragic events."
It was during this investigation in 2013 the actual facts of the underhand surveillance of grieving sister Janet came to light as taking place at the time of her Brother's inquest and afterwards.
It led to yet another investigation by the then Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), who found evidence of a case to answer for gross misconduct for four officers, two of whom (the most senior officers) had already retired. Humberside police declined to bring proceedings, against those officers involved but a gross misconduct hearing into intrusive and unauthorised police surveillance of a bereaved family during an inquest ruled and Humberside police were then directed to do so in respect of the two officers still serving.
The officers were given anonymity during the misconduct hearing. They said that they believed they were carrying out lawful orders, given from higher up in the command chain. Evidence was given by a number of former senior officers at Humberside police who denied ordering the operation, and the hearing was unable to establish the source of its authorisation. Evidence was also given that surveillance officers could be told to follow individuals but without being told why.
The tribunal, sitting in Goole, East Yorkshire, was told by lawyers representing the two officers that they acted on the instructions of a more senior officer.
Sam Green QC, for officer two, said his client was also "at a loss to know what he was supposed to do once instructed to carry out highly sensitive surveillance".
He said: "He believed he was carrying out lawful orders."
Evidence was heard from a number of senior officers who all denied ordering the spying operation.
The tribunal, which found that the the two detective sergeants had "no case to answer".
In a statement, Det Ch Supt Judi Heaton of Humberside Police said: "We know that this has been a distressing time for Ms Alder and her family.
"We do understand her frustration that the exact details around the case have not been able to be established."
Deborah Coles, director WWW.INQUEST.ORG said:
“It is reprehensible that police spied on a bereaved sister and her lawyer during an inquest. This was a clear attempt to intimidate and undermine their attempt to get to the truth about the brutal reality of Christopher’s death. The unlawful killing of Christopher Alder is of significant public interest, as is the shocking treatment of his family in the following years.
We hope this hearing will identify appropriate sanctions for those involved in this gross invasion of privacy. At a time when the undercover policing inquiry is yet to hear evidence, this hearing is an important moment in the wider public understanding of invasive and inappropriate police spying.”
This was not the only tactic Humberside police engaged in to ty and deflect attention away from their handling of Christopher's arrest and subsequent death
Jason Paul, Christopher's friend who initially intervened in the fight outside the club and was to strike Christopher and render the initial blow that caused him to be unconscious and behave erratically, brought a claim against Chief Constable of Humberside Police - for damages as to what he claimed was a catalogue of Police behaviours which clearly showed they tried to make him the scapegoat into Christopher's death.
Following the incident outside the club Jason Paul was then interviewed on several occasions. In the course of the first interview he was arrested for causing grievous bodily harm in substitution for the arrest for murder.
Jason Paul was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent (s18 Offences Against the Person Act 1861). Bail was refused by the police. He was subsequently released on bail by the Magistrates' Court subject to a condition that he reside at a bail hostel away from Hull.
The CPS indicated that they were minded to order that proceedings against Jason Paul be discontinued. Officers expressed concern about this and made representations to the CPS.
However, the proceedings were discontinued as the CPS considered that Jason Paul could rely on self-defence to justify his actions.
Jason Paul brought a claim for false imprisonment, malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office. He contended that his arrest for murder was unlawful. A contention that the arrest for causing grievous bodily harm was unlawful was abandoned; however, he contended that there was no reasonable or probable cause to charge him with a s. 18 offence, suggesting that the police were motivated by a desire to deflect criticism away from themselves and to use him as a suitable scapegoat. He also contended that the police were guilty of misfeasance in public office in continuing to support an unjustified charge although this was abandoned by the end of the evidence.
In 2003 a judge dismissed Jason's case on the grounds there was no factual evidence of police deceit, but the Court of Appeal overturned his ruling and ordered another trial in March of the next year.
The eight-strong jury ruled in favour of Mr Paul on a series of questions posed by the judge.
They agreed unanimously that it was
"more likely than not that the police charged (Mr Paul) with causing GBH with intent to deflect potential criticism of the circumstances of Christopher Alder's death".
They also decided by a margin of seven to one that it was
"more likely than not that the instruction to arrest for murder was given to deflect potential criticism of the circumstances of Christopher Alder's death".
Outside court, Mr Paul said: "I am relieved that after eight years my name has been cleared.
"A jury of my peers has publicly recognised that I was wrongly arrested on suspicion of murder and then charged for GBH with intent because the police needed a scapegoat to avoid potential criticism of the circumstances of the death in police custody of Christopher Alder.
"I wish the Alder family success with their continuing fight for justice against Humberside Police."
following a catalogue of appalling events, Janet and the family are still no further in receiving justice for the loss of Christopher
Speaking to the Yorkshire Post in 2020 Janet said
"All I can think about is the amount of lies involved in Christopher’s case,"
"It’s absolutely disgusting.
"We buried Christopher in 2000 and in 2011, I found out his body was still in the mortuary.
"It was a 77-year-old Nigerian lady we buried – she had been in the mortuary at the time as her family couldn’t get a visa to come over after she'd died.
"South Yorkshire Police investigated the mix up. I believe that the evidence is there and that they’ve dismissed it. But my solicitor said there was no reasonable investigator who could have messed those up. Personally, I just think they didn’t want to go through with all the paperwork.
[Police] were asking me all the questions and tried to turn it on me, as if I was the one that was responsible. They asked me who released Christopher’s body from the mortuary that day.
"How would I know that? It’s not my job to know things like that."
South Yorkshire Police told The Yorkshire Post it was "aware of the concerns raised by Mrs Alder" and was "currently exploring the detail of those concerns”.
Over the years, the case has garnered support from social justice campaigners, in particular from the Black Lives Matter movement who earlier this year asked Ms Alder to speak at a protest in Hull city centre.
"I couldn’t not speak at the protest," she said.
"What happened with George Floyd triggered everything again for me.
"I think racism in this country is hidden a lot better. Why do people not know about Christopher’s case, when it’s so horrific? It's definitely been kept under wraps more."
Last year, some 18 people died either in, or directly after, being in police custody in England and Wales, according to figures released last month by police watchdog IOPC. Of these, 14 were white, three were Black and one whose ethnicity was not recorded.
The number of Black British people who die in custody remains disproportionate, as they make up only three per cent of the overall population.
Janet Alder continues to crowd fund her statement is
I am taking a legal challenge against South Yorkshire Police to challenge the investigation with the hope that no family will ever have to go through what I have been through. Please support me and donate to my fight for Justice. she has raised over £16,000 of the £40,000 required to date
donations can be made via this link
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